MathsTrack: A Self-paced Maths Bridging Course

The MLC offers a bridging course called MathsTrack, which covers roughly the content in the SACE Stage 2 subject 'Mathematical Studies'.

This course can be used as a prerequisite at the University of Adelaide in place of Mathematical Studies, but also simply to revise the content in high school mathematics. The course is self-paced which means you access the resources yourself when you are ready and there are no classes or timetables - so you can start at any time and take as long as you need.

(Previously we also offered a course called MathsStart, which covered various topics from high school mathematics up to the end of Year 11. The resources for this course are still available for personal study.)

Accessing the resources

All the resources for MathsTrack, and also the MathsStart self-study resources are available on the MLC website. The main resources are PDF booklets, for each of the topics in the course, that contain explanations, examples and exercises with answers.

Anyone is able to access these resources and use them for personal study at any time. You do not need to contact us to use them for personal study, but note that the books are copyright, so we do want you to ask permission to use them to teach students of your own.

Doing the bridging course

The main resources for the course are presented here on the MLC website: Bridging Course Resources. The main resources for each topic are booklets (in PDF form) that contain explanations, examples and exercises with answers.

There are no classes and no deadlines - you control the pace and access the resources yourself.

There is an online learning environment hosted on BlackBoard CourseSites where you can access further resources and also communicate with the MLC lecturers.

MLC lecturers are available on weekdays to help you learn. Contact us by phone, email, in person at the MLC Drop-In Centre on campus or via the CourseSite.

The MathsTrack course is designed for people in the community who want to achieve a maths prerequisite for entry into tertiary study, and who are able to communicate with us independently via email.

To do our bridging course, you do not need to be a University of Adelaide student, you do not need to be planning to come to the University of Adelaide in the future, and you do not need to be a South Australian resident.

We are concerned at the number of High School students considering using our bridging course to avoid studying Stage 2 Mathematical Studies as part of their SACE. We believe that it is poor advice to tell students to do a lower level of maths at school in order to improve ATAR scores and then use our course to cover pre-requisites. This is not the intended purpose of the course. It is much better to study the appropriate level of maths as part of your school program.If you are a student still at High School wanting to study our bridging course, we will contact your school to seek further information. Where you are genuinely unable to do Mathematical Studies at your school, we will be happy for you to complete our course. However, we want to be sure that an effort has been made to accommodate students studying the appropriate level of maths while at school.

The formal assessment consists of a written assignment for each topic. You request each assignment from us when you are ready and then submit written solutions by hand, by post, by fax or scanned in an email.

We will read your assignment solutions and give feedback. We may give you further questions to answer if we need more evidence that you understand the concepts of the topic and how to apply them.

When we are satisfied with your assignment (and any extra questions), then we record that you have completed that topic of the bridging courses.

Once all topics are completed, you will receive a certificate of completion, provided payment has been made for the courses.